Employee Questions about COVID-19

Employee COVID-19 Wellness Resources

Right now you are faced with many challenges – providing/supporting care to our local community, uncertainty in the news, protecting your family, your own health and wellness, among many other facets of life that can understandably leave you feeling confused, stressed, and or drained during this time.

To help you meet these daily challenges, we are providing information on a variety of topics. This page outlines what you need to know about employee COVID-19 testing, our organization’s response to the pandemic and protocol, managing your own health and wellness, and using virtual resources to calm and de-stress among many other areas that should support you during this time.

Feel free to check back to this page as we will continue to add supplemental resources (updated 6.4.20)

Employee Health

Employee Health is here for employees who are feeling ill, concerned about COVID-19 exposure, or who need clearance to return to work. Below is some helpful information related to hours, exposure, self-monitoring, and tip sheets we recently distributed.

In an effort to keep our patients, residents, and staff safe, we have developed a COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring Tracking System Tool. All employees are required to complete this form daily and have their manager and/or supervisor review it daily.

The document below addresses in detail the following areas: mandatory monitoring of all staff, symptomatic healthcare employees, if you have been tested for COVID-19, and employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 in a healthcare setting.

We have received many questions from employees concerned about the health of their family members. As a response, we have created a tip sheet offering recommendations which may reduce the chance of you exposing those at home when returning from work.

There are a number of measures that can be taken to reduce your chances of getting COVID-19 no matter if you are at work, in public, or at home. From washing your hands, practicing social distancing, to following respiratory hygiene, there is opportunity to reduce your chances of getting COVID-19. Below is an educational flyer to communicate these measures.

The PDF below is a helpful 4-step guide on how to protect your facial skin as it relates to wearing a N95 face mask daily. If provides tips on how to prep your skin, release the pressure, how to do it safely, and help facial wounds heal.

Early studies have shown that soap is better for disinfecting your hands than other traditional methods. Of course, any form of disinfectant is better than none, but soap is preferred if it is readily available.

Mental Health Resources:

This is a challenging time for many. As healthcare employees, our mental well-being plays an integral role in the quality of care we can provide to our community. We need you to take care of yourself! Below are two areas of resources that you may find helpful for your mental heath: web access to free meditation and mindfulness content and free mental health and support hotlines.

If you need someone to talk to, we are here for you. Please talk to your manager or supervisor.

Meditation and Mindfulness Tools

The following are mediation and mindfulness tools that are currently free.

New York State has partnered with Headspace, a global leader in mindfulness and meditation, to offer free meditation and mindfulness content as a mental health resource for coping with the unprecedented public health crisis. You can access a collection of science-backed, evidence-based guided meditations, along with at-home mindful workouts, sleep and kids content to help address rising stress and anxiety.

The CNY Behavioral Health Care Collaborative (BHCC) is currently offering 5-10 minute guided meditation sessions which are free to attend over the phone. They are offered Monday-Friday at 8:15 am and 4:00 pm, Saturday-Sunday at 8:15 am.

Mental Health and Support Hotlines

Even in this time of physical distancing, it’s critical to seek social support and connection with others. It’s also important to know the signs of anxiety, panic attacks, depression and suicide so you can easily identify them, not just among your family, friends and neighbors, but for yourself.

Signs of anxiety

Persistent worry or feeling overwhelmed by emotions.

Excessive worry about a number of concerns, such as health problems or finances, and a general sense that something bad is
going to happen.

LeadingAge NY has been contacted by PsychAssociates, a group that provides psychological services to a number of our members.

PsychAssociates has been reaching out and offering support to all staff of nursing homes and elder community programs. They are expanding availability and want to reach out to facilities throughout New York State, particularly to all who are working and living on the frontlines of this crisis, regardless of affiliation.

During these difficult times, everyone is coping as best as possible, but many could use a little support. PsychAssociates is offering emotional support to nursing home staff, caregivers, family members, and members of hard-hit communities.

PsychAssociates has set up a support line for people who are on the frontlines of this crisis and therefore often under a tremendous amount of stress. The support line can be reached any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The caller will speak briefly with a PsychAssociates office staff person, or they can leave a brief message at all other times. One of the PsychAssociates psychologists will return the call at whatever time the caller’s message indicated would be convenient for them.

There are no out-of-pocket costs to staff members for any calls, and all calls are completely confidential. Please share contact information with staff, families, and community members.

The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health conditions, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers, and the public. HelpLine staff and volunteers are experienced, well-trained and able to provide guidance. Text NAMI to 741-741

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Emotional support for staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone. Staff should call 315-464-THEM(8436) and ask to speak with a social worker. Social workers are available to listen, offer support, and provide information and resources.

Physical Health Resources:

Your physical health is also very important during this time. With the current social distancing policies and closures in effect, we understand that it may be difficult to access physical fitness options to help reduce stress and improve your physical wellness. Below are some resources that offer extended free trials to videos related to fitness and meditation – many that do not include equipment.

*Please note that we are not endorsing any one vendor or business over another. These are just a few resources that we have identified which may be useful during this time. Many have offered extended free trials or free resources that we thought may be helpful. Please review them carefully before signing up.

Peloton is currently offering a free 90-day trial to their digital membership. The Peloton Digital Membership gives you access to thousands of live and on-demand classes anywhere, anytime, with or without equipment. It includes a diverse selection of indoor cycling, running, walking, bootcamp, strength and outdoor (audio-only) classes.

You can access the videos through the Peloton App on your iPhone, iPad, Android device, Fire TV, or on the Peloton website.

Go to www.onepeloton.com to learn more. The free trial does require a credit card to begin using the service. Monthly fees after the 90-day trial are $12.99 a month

Planet Fitness is currently offering free daily live streams on their facebook page at 7:00 pm ET. They are 20 minute or less workout videos to relieve stress and stay active. They also have archived these videos on their Youtube Channel if you want to catch up or see what has already been published. Planet Fitness also offers videos on their app, which is free for everyone.

Down Dog is currently offering a free trial for health care employees until July 1st. They are providing the following apps free for use exclusively to the healthcare field – Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Ballet Inspired Workout (Barre), and 7 Minute Workout.

For more information on Down Dog for healthcare employees, please visit www.downdogapp.com

FitOn offers free group fitness, giving users instant access to a wide variety of unlimited, premium group classes no matter where they are—all led by world-class personal trainers, such as Cassey Ho, Danielle Pascente, Katie Dunlop, and many others.

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to your overall well-being. Do you love to grab a snack before bed? Be aware that what you choose to eat can impact your ability to get a good night’s rest.

Beware:

Large portions and high fat foods (like French fries) interfere with falling asleep.

Spicy foods slow down digestion.

Alcohol may make you feel drowsy and have a relaxing effect at first, then cause you to wake up because it interferes with deep sleep and interrupts the sleep cycle.

The stimulant powers of caffeine, found in coffee, tea or chocolate, take several hours to wear off. Even decaf has some caffeine.

High-sugar foods and overeating can also interfere with your ability to sleep.

The good news? Some bedtime snacks can help you take in nutrients your body needs. Going to bed hungry can keep you awake so the next time you want a night time snack, try a small portion of one of these healthy options about an hour before you turn in.

Nuts, including walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios

Seeds, such as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

Whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk

Peanut butter on whole-grain toast

Low-fat cheese with whole-grain crackers

One ounce of turkey or chicken on a slice of whole grain bread

Bananas and other foods high in potassium, which helps you to stay asleep

Below is a video from A Healthier Upstate, a non-profit health and wellness blog, with some helpful tips related to reducing cravings or over eating due to boredom or stress. For more information please visit www.ahealthierupstate.org.

Clinical Guidance and Information for Staff:

The following includes information for proper PPE usage, visitor restrictions, educational videos, and proper attire. We are currently enforcing the following COVID-19 Safety Guidelines:

As we and the nation learn more about PPE usage as it relates to preventing the spread of COVID-19, we have created PPE practices for our different clinical and non clinical areas. These guidelines are reviewed daily.

We are currently recommending that all employees wear comfortable clothing to work that can be readily laundered after the work day. Suits and more formal attire are not recommended. No jeans at this time please.

We are also recommending long sleeve shirts for our clinical staff to reduce skin interactions with the increased use of PPE such as gowns.

Having conversations with families about Advance Care Planning is important to their loved one’s care. The brochure below, provided by Excellus, provides some insight and support for both families and care providers.

Communications From Leadership:

Each day our President and CEO, Gene Morreale, shares a daily correspondence through email. The purpose of these messages are to keep you up-to-date on the impact and direction of our organization as we learn more about COVID-19. Below you will find an archive of his daily correspondences to date (updated 6.4.20).

Interested in some creative activities and parenting tips during this challenging time? Would you like some ideas on how to talk to your children about the Coronavirus? Go to www.nysparenting.org and download their parenting resource guide.

LeadingAge New York has compiled a list of online resources for seniors and loved ones to use while practicing social distancing. This includes free virtual tours of museums, monuments, exotic locations and live virtual performances from music and theater including the New York Philharmonic, Apollo Theater, and the Metropolitan Opera to name a few. They also offer free online classes and cooking.

For Questions:

Please submit any questions you may have in the form below. This form, which we initially distributed a few weeks ago, will help us measure how well we are doing in communicating to you during this time, give you an opportunity to ask a question, provide suggestions for improved communication, and or to provide an alternative email address for future COVID-19 correspondences.

The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider.